3D effect in 2D image with color gradient

[makbar]

I have two water height surface images (sorry can't attach those now). These are for exactly the same event in Gulf of Mexico US coastal region area (zoomed) - one in 2d and another one in 3d. The water height is used to color both images. The incremental color band has blue-cyan-yellow-red colors. The 3d version has the surface elevated based on the water height. 2d image does NOT have this surface elevation. I can generate 2D easily, but need 3D effect similar to the one I have attached. As I have mentioned already, it should show gradual water elevation (something like emboss or texture, may be?). Of course, the effect does not really have to be exactly the same as the one I have attached. All I need is a 3d feeling that water is gradually raised as you move towards red. Is there anyway to do it?
Advance thanks. Muhammad

PS: I do not see the option of image attachment. I will attach later if permission granted.

[fmw42]

you need to post your image to some other server and then link it here. this server does not allow uploading images per se.

[makbar]

Here are those:
2D image:


3D image:

[fmw42]

Your images are very big and slow to load.

Here is the simpler url links.
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/eb5abba1ea.png

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0cd532b5a9.png


Do you have the original height field as an image? One could use that as a displacement map to distort the 2d image. see various examples on http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/displace/

If you can provide the height field as an image, then one might be able to try that approach with composite heightfieldimage 2Dimage -displace XxY result

where probably X=0 so 0xY where Y is some vertical scaling based upon the height field